


Cold Winter Morning

by indefensibleselfindulgence



Series: tactile empathy [5]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, Gen, Lazy Mornings, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 10:06:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16951977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indefensibleselfindulgence/pseuds/indefensibleselfindulgence
Summary: His mind is so slow to start when it's cold out.





	Cold Winter Morning

**Author's Note:**

> be the fluff you want to see in the world
> 
> not beta'd

He wakes up in the middle of the night.  
  
Something is dinging the Alarm, and Caleb thwacks the person next to him with a finger to his lips. Nott's noise of normal startled waking so much quieter in the cold silence of snowfall. Her crossbow is up already, though, and one of her hands settles on Caleb's side while they both stick their head out to look.  
  
“It's just a deer.” She whispers.  
  
“Where?”  
  
She points, and Caleb thinks that maybe he can make something that could be a dear out in the darkness of the woods.  
  
“Mm-” Their other bedmate stirs behind them, and Caleb pats his leg gently- quietly.  
  
“I'll take watch.” She whispers, already slowly crawling out of the tent.  
  
“Here.” He leans back and grabs the bundle of fur she's been wearing to keep most of the cold out. “Wake Beauregard too, it's her turn.”    
  
“Yeah okay.” Nott tugs the fur on, and absent-mindedly moves back to kiss Caleb on the forehead.  
  
“Don't eat the dear, Nott.”  
  
“Do you want breakfast or not?” She asks and presses her hand right down the middle of his face, claws digging awkwardly into his cheek. He laughs a little bit and lets her go. He listens until he hears Beau's usual round of “Huh who whats?” before tugging the blanket that had slipped down to their waist in the panic.  
  
“Hey.” Caduceus's voice is slow, but his eyes are open and staring up at where Caleb was a second ago, still adjusting. “Everything okay?”  
  
“Ja- just a dear.” He whispers settling down again.  
  
“Mm.” Caduceus whispers, blinking slowly like Frumpkin does and it makes Caleb happy in some stupid way. “Come here.” His hands are almost totally numb just from holding the tent open. Caduceus takes them into his own and rubs them slowly.  
  
“Thank you.” Everything is slow right now, and there's something wonderful about that too.  
  
“Is it still dark?”  
  
“Ja.”  
  
“Then come here.” He says again, and Caleb lies down now, tugged closer to Caduceus until Caleb's face is pressed against the soft fur on his chest. “Good boy. Tired?”  
  
That gets him warm better then anything else could.  
  
He nods, and Caduceus wraps his arms around Caleb's back.  
  
“Long watch.” He says, and Caduceus nods knowingly, chin brushing against Caleb's hair.

It's all languid touches. The arms on his back rub tiny little circles where his shirt is the thinnest to keep him arm.  
  
“Hate those. Warm yet?”  
  
“Ja.”  
  
“Good. Go back to sleep then.”  
  
It's exceptionally easy, nestled against him like he is. Frumpkin purrs against his back under the blanket. Caduceus hums something too, quiet and muffled by Caleb's hair. His dreams are peaceful, snow and Nott and Caduceus and him in a tent in the forest.  
  
Breakfast over an open fire is pretty nice too.

**Author's Note:**

> comments are always encouraged and very very very appreciated
> 
> talk[ to me here](http://iamalivenow.tumblr.com/)


End file.
